Accident

Description

A general rule is used to explain a specific case that does not fall under its
rule.

Example

Rich people like to receive good service. You therefore must
like good service.

You can't go there, Mr. President. Nobody is allowed in.

It is wrong to hurt people. You should not have hit that
person who was attacking you.

Discussion

What often happens here is that the general rule being used is either assumed
to have a wider scope (being more general) than is reasonable, or that it is
simply mismatched with the case that it is being used to cover.

We have a deep need to
explain things that happen, which leads to many people accepting a general
rule as explanation for a specific case, even when that rule clearly does not
apply. A convenient Accident may thus be used deliberately when there is no
general rule available.